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by Bronski
Summary: Ash left his house for a week on a business trip, unknowingly hurting a certain woman deeply. What will happen the moment he was back? AdvanceShipping.


_When I wrote this, I was inspired by the rather common fics about them separating and then reuniting. I decided to give it a try but give it my own spin. One of them is the absence of confessions as it is unnecessary for spouses. The other is a more real-world atmosphere._

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The moon was shining brightly, but it was the only source of light in the town. Stores were closed, houses were dark as the people were asleep, snoring peacefully... except for a young woman.

The aforementioned woman was lying on her bed, but wide awake. The clock was about to strike midnight, however there were no hints of drowsiness. Her heart was beating quickly and loudly, her heart was racing. Her entire body was trembling in excitement and anticipation. Anticipation of a glorious moment, the moment when the door opened and a man whom she had not seen in a while. A man whose absence left her with a hole in her heart.

Meanwhile, a car stopped in front of the house. The driver, the only person in the car, left it and closed the door gently. Opening the gate before closing it back, he walked to the house's stoop while thinking about the past week.

He was required to leave the country for a week due to his job. The daycare centre where he worked had recently expanded to Sinnoh and as one of the most high-ranked and experienced staff, he was invited to Snowpoint City for training the new staff along with his mentor. As a consequence, he had to leave his wife back home in Littleroot Town. It wasn't desirable, but to achieve great things, sacrifices were required. He was saddened as he recalled the week he had spent without her. No one by his side as he awakened from his sleep. No cheerful smiles and sweet greetings. He couldn't start the day with a happy mood as he was without his loving wife.

The days of loneliness was over. Here he was, mere footsteps away from his house, where she was waiting for him. Opening the front door, he yelled, "May, guess who's back?"

Silence ensued. He wondered if she was in the bathroom or asleep in the bedroom. A trace of guilt formed inside him as he became aware of the possibility of disturbing her precious sleep. Things that could be done to make amends for his silly mistake was considered. Massaging her or taking her to her favourite shop were likely options.

Loud footsteps were heard from the stairway then the floor. In mere seconds his chest was constricted by a pair of arms. After recovering from the shock, he looked at the owner of the arms and smiled. Then, he pressed his lips firmly against one of her soft cheeks, while the other was tenderly rubbed by his hand.

A small amount of tears formed on the side of her eyes. However, from the way her eyes and lips curved, which gave her face a gleeful look, he could deduce that the tears were those of joy.

"Ashy! I missed you so much!"

"I know, I know," he replied while giving her a light laugh. "So what happened while I was away?"

Her smile faded as she recalled the agony of spending days without her other half. Granted, Crystal did visit her often, albeit only a short visit as she was busy with her jobs, and they would make the most of their time together. They shared a thing in common, which was the absence of their respective husbands. Crystal had been nothing but kind to her, with the older woman giving comforting words, yet it did nothing to soothe her aching heart. She felt lonely, her constant frown was atypical of her cheerful character.

As she finished reminiscing the less-than-great memories, her smile returned. There were no reasons for her to be solemn. The man, and the only man that could bring her happiness was finally in front of her. She was glad that she tightly clutched him, she promised that he wouldn't be let go that easily.

The charming smile of hers had gone once again, replaced by a depressed look. Her grip on him was released and she crashed her face on his chest while weeping. "Ashy!" she cried. "Last week had been terrible!"

The sob and her cries alerted him. He didn't knew how much his absence affected her. Seeing her in a sorry state caused him to feel her pain. It was far from pleasant, he had to end it. Concernedly, he asked, "Why? Did anyone hurt you?"

The concern he had touched her. She was happy that he was concerned about her, although it was no surprise. Having known him for over a decade, she was certain of his reactions. He was the only person that could comfort her, which was the reason that happiness without him could not happen.

"No-" she attempted to speak more but what came out were sobs instead. He knew that asking her to speak would do more harm than good so he carefully brought her to the living room where he let her cry and tightly hold his shirt. As she was crying, he tenderly caressed her head and whisper comforting words to her ears.

Minutes later, her sobs stopped. Wiping the remains of her tears from her eyes, he asked, "If no one was hurting you, why are you hurt?"

"It's just... it's just-" Tears reappeared from her eyes as his question reminded her of the unbearable pain.

"Don't cry, May," he said soothingly. "I'm now here."

"That... that is exactly w-why," she uttered through faint sobs.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"W-when you say you're now here. I'm hurt b-because you're nowhere to be s-seen."

A sharp sting of guilt pierced through his heart as he heard that he was the cause of her suffering. Even if it was unintentional, it didn't change the fact that he hurt her. He was mad and disgusted at himself for his inhumanity. No human being would dare inflict this amount of pain on their fellows.

"I am truly sorry, May. It was very unobservant of me to not see the damage," he begged for her apology.

"It's not your fault. You were leaving me for your job. Ultimately, it's for both our benefits."

"But still! I'm the one who caused this."

She looked up to him and now they were staring at each other. "It really is not your fault, it is no one's. Just promise me... that you'll never leave me again." Her sobs were increasing in volume. "I need you, Ashy! I can't live without you!"

"If you want to cry, then don't hold back. Cry it all out. You'll definitely feel much better afterwards." He flashed her a smile of reassurance. With his encouragement, she released all inhibitions and cried loudly. Meanwhile, one of his hands cupped the back of her head and pushed it gently to his chest before placing his lips on her forehead.

"That's it," he whispered softly. "Let the pain leave you with your tears."

His voice, his hands and his chest granted her the security which she had been lacking for the past week. Her source of strength was back, she need not be afraid. It was as he said, she felt her grief carried by the tears and left her body.

When she stopped crying, her condition noticeably improved. There were still the remains left by her sobs, but a faint smile was seen across her lips, which Ash took as a sign of her improvement.

"How are you feeling?"

The curve of her lips grew. "Much better. Thank you, Ashy."

"It's only appropriate after what I've done to you."

"No one should take the blame for it. But can you please never leave me?" she pleaded. "Without you, I'll wither."

"Don't worry about that," he replied while smiling at her. "Should I leave here again, I'll make sure to bring you with me."

She looked at him hopefully. "Really?"

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "Truthfully, I'm also affected by your absence. You're the only one who can cheer me. It's like having an illness and leaving the medication at home."

Hearing that her husband was also heavily affected by their separation, she was enraptured. The chances of them separating decreased. She would be under his constant watch and protection, she would now forever be safe. Never again would she wake up in the morning without receiving deep kisses and short sessions of massages. Now, when she opened her eyes, she would always see a wide grin and feel a tickling sensation. It was what she needed to start the day with a good mood.

Leaving his shirt, her arms crept up to his neck and gripped it. "Ashy, can you carry me to the bedroom?"

"Sure, but follow me to the laundry first."

In the laundry, Ash took his shirt off, which was wet from May's tears. He put it inside the washing machine and pressed several buttons on the machine to activate it.

Smiling at his wife, he said, "Watch the shirt being washed with your tears of pain. Watch the tears and pain disappear."

"T-thank you, Ashy. This is why I need you. Only you can make me happy."

"It's my pleasure to bring you joy. Also-" He kneeled before placing one hand under her knee and the other behind her back. "Time to carry you to the bedroom!" he spoke with a large grin.

The scene of their marriage was reenacted. She snuggled against his bare chest as she was carried to their bedroom. There was nothing to fear. Her ever loyal guardian and protector was by her side, she wouldn't have it any other way. Even after crying it all out, there were still some traces of pain inside her, but it dissipated with his presence. The week of torture and anguish was forgotten in mere minutes. His absence was a traumatising experience but it was guaranteed that it would be the last time, for he had made an oath that neither would go through a single day without the other.

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_This is my first time in writing a Hurt/Comfort fic so I would greatly appreciate it if feedbacks/reviews were given._


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